new year special

(TL: Let’s all appreciate that festive time of year this piece was written in. This is part 1 of 2, the second part to be released at a later date. Unlike the EXTRA chapters, this special has absolutely no bearing on the main story)

Aleist: "And here we are, at this special event to commemorate the new year! It's time for our wonderful question corner. This is your host Aleist, the man who's become somewhat popular these days. Now let's introduce our special guests. Today's guests are these two!"

Albach: "I'm the King of Courtois, Albach Courtois."

Ciel: "His wife, Ciel Courtois."

Aleist: "Even so, we've gathered quite the extravagant faces. Personally, I have no idea how I'm supposed to be treating you."

Ciel: "Oh? That's quite a weak statement from our popular (lol) black knight. You need only prostrate yourself before a woman as you always do. Even if it's a new year special, is this really anything new? Though this is precisely why you'll always be no good."

Aleist: "… A harsh statement right off the bat, my Hp's already hit 0."

Albach: "My apologies, black knight (lol)."

Aleist: "Pease stop. Stop with the (lol)s… hah, anyways, getting back on track, here's a question for his and her majesty. 'Do you have any dissatisfactions within the palace? And what do you think of Princess Aileen and Captain (lol) Fritz?' they ask."

Albach: "Dissatisfactions, is it? Well, I have quite a few, but my biggest complaint is the fact my wife is one of your capture targ—Aleist: "Hahaha! What could this man be talking about!? We don't need those sort of meta statements! And I'm definitely not laying my hands on her!""

Ciel: "You mean it in the, here's a big red button, you better not push it, sort of way? You're not my type, kid. The only one I love as a man is Albach."

Albach: "H-honey!"

Ciel: "Dear!"

Aleist: "… Enough. For now, can we leave the complaints at that?"

Albach: "Very well!"

Ciel: "There are so many I can't narrow down an answer. So let's go onto the next one. Look, just get on with it already, Mr. Popular (lol)."

Aleist: "Next is Princess Aileen and Fritz. Personally, my honest impression is that she's way too different from how I imagined her. I thought she would be kinder. I think she's quite the selfish princess."

Ciel: "Good of you to say that right in front of her parents. I'll remember this. Well, personally, I do think Aileen's recent actions are intolerable."

Albach: "I'm just glad Fina is so earnest. How about it, Aleist-kun, won't you take one of them?"

Aleist: "I already have my fill. The best times in life are the ones where you can still envy something like a harem."

Ciel: "I can't think that as a statement from a wimp who hasn't lain hands on them. More importantly, that royal guard captain? His status is much too low. I originally intended to fill that slot with Rudel of the Arses House, but…"

Albach: "While I have much to think about it, if he shows his devotion as an earnest knight, and does his work, I'll evaluate him for it. I heard his capabilities are considerable, so if he diligently stacks up his training, they'll stop saying he boasts an empty title. You should be careful of that too, Aleist-kun."

Aleist: "You two seem to have it down. I thought it would be something more muddled, but it looks like I can take a breath of fresh air."

Ciel: "… There's no need to jump the gun on the first move."

Aleist: "Following on, 'How do the women think of Rudel as a member of the opposite sex?' is the question. When I'm the host, they ask about Rudel… eh? What's this?"

Ciel: "Then first off, let's call in our daughters. Dear, go get them."

Albach: "Very well!"

Aleist: "She's working you hard."

Albach: "…… You'll be like this too someday. No, you're already one of us. Now's your last chance to have a laugh over it!"

Aileen: "Father, is something starting?"

Fina: "Father, mother, and Mr. Janitor too. Good day. (I don't want to moovve.)"

Aleist (rubbing his eyes): "Huh? Fina-sama, did you just say something?"

Fina: "No, nothing in particular? (Get master in here, master! Let's start the year off with its first petting!)"

Aleist: "So here's a question for the two of you. How do you think of Rudel, as a member of the opposite sex?"

Aileen: "That's quite an unpleasant question so early in the year. I hate him."

Fina: "I feel in his debt for all the time's he's saved me, and more than anything, I do believe he is a wonderful person (Fluffadise fever!! Should I tell you just how much I need master, here and now? If I call it love or affection or some shit, I'm sure they'll accept it, and master's from an archduke house… here it is. It's my win.)"

Ciel: "Is that so. Okay. Goodbye."

Aileen, Fina: "…"

Albach: "Wouldn't it be fine to ask them more?"

Ciel: "Does it really matter to a noble whether they like someone or not? Well, as it stands, Aileen for Aleist-dono and Fina for Rudel-dono, I guess? That sounds safest to me."

Albach: "Then moving on. Please enter."

Sophina: "Pardon my intrusion."

Mii: "Pardon my intrusion. Urrgh, how nerve-wracking."

Aleist: "Huh? Wasn't I supposed to be the host…"

Ciel: "We have too many characters. Let's get this done with quickly. How do you two think of Rudel as a member of the opposite sex? Do you want to be embraced, or do you hate the thought of even touching him? Pick between the two."

Albach: "Now that's quite extreme."

Aleist: "You're at full throttle, first thing in the year."

Ciel: "Oh? By embrace, I mean a hug. Just what could you have been imagining, you silly people?"

Aleist, Albach: "…"

Ciel: "This is a pain, so let's just write the question somewhere in the room. Do you want to be embraced or not, hang it up, and if their faces turn red, we just have to push it from there. Now what's your answer?"

Sophina: "No, even if you ask if I want to be embraced, I can't quite… I wouldn't hate it, but with my age…"

Ciel: "So you want to be embraced. Alright, next!"

Sophina: "Eeeeeh."

Mii: "A hug? I'm fine with that. He does things that go beyond that to me on a regular basis."

Ciel: "So you already have been embraced. Looks like this kid is OK too."

Aleist: "If you take that out of context, it's way too extreme. Ladies, the exit is that way. Now onto the next ones~."

Cattleya: "Pardon my intrusion. Ah, the marriage interview woman's back."

Lilim: "This is quite the high-class gathering."

Enora (face bright red): "… What's with that question?"

Bennet: "Do I want to be embraced by my subordinate, you ask?"

Aleist: "Here we have the flowers of the dragoons."

Albach: "One of them's already beet red. No, the second one's turning."

Aleist: "Cattleya-san and Enora-san, looks like. The two of them are surprisingly maidens, after all…though they look like they'd play around, it really is a mystery."

Cattleya: "You just laughed, didn't you. See me out back later."

Aleist: "… My apologies (sweat)."

Bennet (tail wagging): "By embrace, you mean being held in his arms? Then we're always embracing each other every day (in combat training) That kid is always so intense (and serious in training), so I'm always worn out."

Cattleya (irritated): "…"

Lilim (fiddling with hair): "… Tch…"

Enora (face bright red): "Eh? Ah, eh, whoah."

Aleist: "I don't know how to begin to describe this air."

Albach: "But aren't you a little too used to it?"

Aleist: "If you'll let me have my say, something of this level is cute by comparison… hah."

Ciel: "As the wolf girl said, this is about hugs. You two with the red faces, just what could you be imagining? Meet me out back, I'll be asking you later. There is no escape… well then do you think it's alright to be embraced?"

Cattleya (face bright red): "W-well, I wouldn't hate it."

Lilim (serious): "I wouldn't mind going further!"

Enora (face bright red): "I-I'm fwinnth!"

Bennet (tail wagging): "Totally fine!"

Ciel: "The wolf girl is so pure it's hurting my heart. Well, let's continue on."

Aleist: "In that case, let's bring in the next ones!"

Erselica: "Pardon my intrusion."

Lena: "Pardon my intrusion!"

Albach: "What's this? Isn't this question a bit too extreme for family? Then let's just be upfront. What do you two think about Rudel? Tell us whether you like or hate him."

Erselica: "Hah? He's my brother, for argument's sake. But I like Chlust more."

Lena: "Hmm, my brother is my eternal goal, you hear. While I like him, at the same time, he's my greatest rival! The first one to perfect the art of petting dragons will be me!"

Aleist: "Huh? Rudel already got initiated into the secret arts."

Lena: "… Eh?"

Aleist: "As I was saying, he got initiated into the secret arts. And he even obtained a pair of demon eyes."

Ciel: "Isn't he already beyond the realm of humanity?"

Albach: "Demon eyes of all things. Now that's a powerful item that tickles a man's heart."

Lena: "…………….. I'm going to go training."

Aleist: "Hah?"

Lena: "I'm going to train and work out a new way to pet dragons! I won't let it end like this. Then I have no choice but to put my all into it! I can't keep my brother waiting forever!"

Erselica: "Hey wait, Lena! … W-well then, everyone, I apologize for this discourtesy, but I must be taking my leave!"

Albach: "And they're off. I'm glad they look in good health."

Ciel: "I can't wait to see what happens at the academy next year. There'll be a few new air holes in the headmaster's stomach."

Aleist: "Yeah~, I hope the headmaster who looked after us keeps a good watch over his health."

Ciel: "Is that the line of one of the problem children? Aleist-dono the Playboy (lol)?"

Albach: "You fit the (lol)s way too well."

Aleist: (They're playing with me.)

Aleist: "Moving on!"

Izumi: "Pleasure."

Millia: "… Beg pardon."

Aleist: "The main act has come out!"

Albach: "You look happy, but are you sure you want to hear it?"

Ciel: (Grinning)

Izumi: "Do I want to be embraced by Rudel? You want me to answer that question?"

Aleist (slight glance at Millia): "T-that's right."

Millia: "… You're really asking that so early in the year? Aleist, is your head on right?"

Aleist: "It's not my question! This is a question from the readers! It's something everyone wants to know!"

Ciel: "Creepy. He's so desperate it's creeping me out."

Albach: "I'm not sure what to think about shoving the blame onto the readers."

Millia (averting her face, cheeks a bit red): "I don't hate him. I'll accept an embrace (hug) from him anytime."

Aleist (hugging knees, staring at wall): "…"

Albach: "Now this is quite the reaction."

Ciel: "No doubt about it! This girl has a thing for Rudel-dono (lol). Oh? Now where might our little black knight be (lolol). Putting that aside, how about the other girl?"

Izumi: "Me? I love Rudel, so that's not a problem. But a hug is a bit… well, in my culture…"

Ciel: "That's a questionable answer. You like him, but you can't hug?"

Izumi: "Yes, that's about right. If I cause any misunderstandings, it will only bring trouble for Rudel."

Ciel: "How modest. If only Fina had this level of modesty…"

Albach: (If only you had this level of modesty…)

Aleist (dejected): "Then is that the end?"

Ciel: "What are you talking about? We still have the real act left to go."

Albach: "Sure enough, I guess you could call it the centerpiece."

Aleist: "Was there someone else?"

Sakuya: 'How terrible for you to forget me!'

Mystith: 'Hey, what do you intend to do, keeping a lady waiting?'

Heleene: 'Mama, you're being too intimidating.'

Aunty: 'I'm technically a woman (female) you know.'

Aleist: "Are the dragons counted among the women?"

Albach: "Well, in this case, I'm curious to see how the dragons think of the human called Rudel. Let's go with that as the question."

Ciel: "Taking it in turn… let's start with the white one, then the big blue one, her daughter, and finally the giant dragon."

Sakuya: 'Sakuya really loves Rudel! She loves Izumi too! She likes Millia maybe (?) But Aleist is no good!'

Albach: "The dragon hates you, Aleist-kun."

Aleist: "Dammit, she still holds a grudge over the past. When she lost her memory, why is that the only thing she remembers?"

Ciel: "I do think Flan von Brains was terrible. But if I had to say, your brain’s always filled with a shade of pink, Aleist-dono. Girls that cute, and seven of them at that… the number ever increasing."

Albach: "You think he's going to wither sometime soon?"

Mystith: 'Am I next? Let's see… he's an understanding human who respects Marty. And I'll praise him as Sakuya's contractor.'

Albach (looking off into the distance): "… That's the problem in and of itself."

Ciel (looking off into the distance): "Yes, as long as that wasn't there, I'd raise both my arms in delight… why did it have to be Marty Wolfgang of all people…"

Aleist: "Next is… who might you be?"

Heleene: 'Me? I'm Bennet's dragon.'

Aleist: "Oh, the wolf girl's dragon? That wolf girl Bennet's quite the popular one. It seems even the author couldn’t tell that was supposed to be her treating Rudel as a grunt. I wonder if there's a reason for that."

Heleene: '… Make light of my contractor and you're dead.'

Aleist (Groveling): "My apologies!"

Mystith: 'So how is it?'

Heleene: 'Wait, mama, don't rush me! He's my contractor Bennet's precious subordinate. Everyone always dotes on that girl, so she can never get the sort of subordinate she wants. If my contractor's happy, then that's enough for me.'

Aunty: 'I don't have anything to say in particular. Well, in regards to how he saved Sakuya, as a fellow gaia dragon, I am thankful.'

Aleist: "This is ending on a somewhat dubious note."

Ciel: "If we have any other questions, we can just answer them when the time comes. Dear, I'm thirsty."

Albebach: "I see, then I'll go get you something. Aleist-kun, would you like anything to drink?"

Aleist: "While I appreciate the sentiment, I think I should be the one to go. We will be having a brief intermission."